Luca D not keen on Alonso-Kimi pairing

WRONG

Mercedes owns 40% of McLaren, no more and no less, this is public information. Last time I checked, 40% is a minority stake

Wrong again, Renault advertised their victories in F1 all over the place. Do you really think they would spend tens, if not hundreds of millions a year on their F1 problem only to bury it in obscurity when they were winning?!?

I'd say they were taking credit for what they could. Is it a surprise to you that they would publicize winning the WDC?!?

Put it another way, assume they won the WCC and not the WDC, do you think they would have kept silent???

Give it up, you're flogging a dead horse with your argument.

 

Well, everybody has a dead horse to beat. Yours is Massa.

Isn´t it annoying??

 

At least I have an informed opinion...

 

Of course, you´re always right, man.

 

Fred seems to be getting back on track, only one faster is Kimi, if Fred drove a red car, it would be a Ferrari 1,2... Watch out for Fred, he's a far superior driver than everyone but Kimi....

 

Alonso is a great driver, but he is not capable of dragging the enemic Renault and its shortcomings to the podium come race time. I believe a light fuel load during qualifying is the only reason that he is at the front, so we need not have to watch out.

 

+1. Alonso must be running on Q2 fuel loads. Look at where his teammate qualified to get a better gauge on where his car would slot if he was on a normal race strategy.

He's a good driver, but his ego doesn't allow him to live in a shared spotlight. I doubt Ferrari would designate him as a #1 driver over Kimi.

 

Ferrari wont even take him if Kimi left next year. Tomorrows race he may even take out a Ferrari in the first lap.(hope not) but we will see. This guys ego is so big that he probably has only 5 to 10 laps of fuel on board. He wants to strut like a peacock for a few laps.

 

I dunno about that. Alonso and Trulli had a pretty much even fight at Renault and got on pretty well. It was pretty much a 50/50 split in qualifying between the two, with the edge going to Alonso during the race, and there were no problems. I believe the problems arose last year due to the fact that Hamilton was a rookie and the team management didn't show Alonso the respect deserving a two time champ, in his view, and should have been favoring him. How fast Hamilton is was a shock to everyone but he was still a rookie. Many McLaren drivers have complained about RD and the team favoring one driver over the other, and it would be difficult to argue this point with RD himself saying he saw Hamilton as a son.

I think if Alonso did go to Ferrari with Kimi it would be a different situation than in 07. Kimi is very much his equal and has been with the team longer. Number one status within the team would have to be earned with a straight fight, it would not be expected. It's one thing to have a rookie in the other car when you're a two time champ and expect to be the number one driver, it's another to have another champ in the other car. Alonso and Kimi seem to have mutual respect for one another. I personally don't think it will happen, but i would love it if it did. What a fight they would have......

 

Yes "IF" he did go the only way Alonso could take Kimi is in one of his dumb chicken games into a corner and more than likely wipe out both Ferraris. This is something Ferrari dosnt want.

 

Again, and you know this how? I'd like to find out for myself.

 

that last year Fred was at Maca and they were on the top with Ferrari, this year he is at Renault and guess who is starting to be fast???? Where is Maca?? I haven't seen Lewis is weeks... I can say the evidence points to Fred being the guy who makes things happen and if he wants to, he can make Ferrari really work for a championship...

 

Fred is going fast on empty....lets see how far he goes.
Ferrari are winning without him and therefor do not need his mouth to ruin a good thing.

 

Kimi is winning, you mean.

Let's not forget that Ferrari has yet to win a WCC on the basis of points since Massa arrived. He cost the team the title in 2006 and would have cost the team the title in 2007 had the FIA not intervened

 

Ted, how bad do you think McLaren would have wished that Alonso would still be able to help develop the car? The McLaren pace has fallen off by about 6ths of a second compared to this years Ferrari

 

Ask RD. He said the true pace would be known by Barcelona. Id say BMW is better, but do they need help with the START!!

 

I was thinking that, watching this race. I think de la Rosa is very experienced at development but clearly McLaren is missing something with Alonso's absence. Hamilton is fast but is still learning and I think HK is turning into another DC. Signing him is turning out to have been a liability for the team, they really should have made a better effort towards signing someone more experienced, perhaps Nick Heidfeld?

One thing is for certain and that is that McLaren does not have what it takes to challenge the Ferrari. With BMW's speed and the resurging Renault (Alonso's impact, perhaps?), McLaren has a big fight on their hands. I would suggest that the changing fortunes of both McLaren and Renault should put paid to those folks on here who argue that Alonso has no car development skills.

 

Ross Brawn has offered an alternative interpretation of Luca di Montezemolo's recent comments about Fernando Alonso.

Reacting to recent speculation linking the Spanish former double world champion with Ferrari, the Italian team's President said lining up 'a Raikkonen-Alonso double act would mean wanting to damage yourself.'

Montezemolo's comments were construed as a clear signal of no confidence in Alonso, but Honda Team Principal Brawn thinks differently.

"The President's comment was interesting," Brawn, who until 2006 was Ferrari's Technical Director, is quoted as saying by the Spanish newspaper El Pais.

"He didn't say Alonso would never drive for Ferrari; what he said was that it would be illogical to have Fernando and Kimi in the same team," he added.

Reigning world champion and current championship leader Raikkonen's Ferrari contract runs out at the end of 2009, and he is undecided about whether he will sign a new one.

1982 world champion Keke Rosberg said on German television on Sunday that he can imagine the Finn, who is just 28, retiring ahead of the 2010 season.



Brawn continued to El Pais that Montezemolo is right if he thinks managing a team with two superstar drivers would be damaging.

"My experience tells me that is far better to have a very good first driver and a second driver to support him," he explained.

"Just look at F1's history. Senna-Prost: serious problems. Alonso-Hamilton: serious problems. And there is no solution to this sort of thing," the Briton said.

Brawn suggested that, when Honda is able to produce a winning car, he would be happy to recommend Alonso as its lead driver.

"When we reach that level, we will have to have one of the best drivers.

"I am not saying we want Alonso, I am just saying that, currently, there are two or three drivers that are above the level of the rest, and Alonso is one of them."

 

Brawn knew Luca....this guy actually works there now (Stefan Domenicali)


Ferrari: Kimi is not thinking about retirement.
Wed 30 Apr, 09:51 AM - From CRASH.net


Defending champ is 'motivated from head to toe', Maranello team chief urges.

Kimi Raikkonen has absolutely no thoughts of retiring at the end of the 2009 Formula 1 season - that is the view of Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali.

There have been suggestions the Finn is planning to hang up his helmet once his current contract with the Scuderia expires, with countryman and 1982 world champion Keke Rosberg hinting last weekend that he could imagine Raikkonen calling it quits at the end of 2009 - when he will only just have turned 30.

As a result of his victory in Barcelona - which he described as the most perfect of his entire career - the defending title-winner has moved nine points clear of chief rival Lewis Hamilton in the 2008 drivers' standings.

Should he wrap up a second consecutive crown, there are even rumours Raikkonen may try to break his contract with Maranello and walk away at the end of the current campaign. He has frequently re-iterated that he is undecided about what his plans will be beyond 2009.

Speaking to Swiss publication Motorsport Aktuell, however, Domenicali rubbished such claims as 'nonsense'.

"I have heard this rumour and there is not a gain of truth to it," the Italian insisted. "Kimi is motivated from head to toe and I know he is not thinking of retiring."

 

Considering that he can command $50 million a year, why would he want to retire? Why not sign another 2 or 3 year deal and make major bank?

 

Ted you are so right. Kimi has WIFE

 

Of course he's gonna say that. Domenicali works for the team and will say whatever they want him to say. I wouldn't put too much into this either. Anything is possible. Kimi has said a few times he didn't care who his teammate is.

 

Wasn't it Alonso who once said he would retire after three WDCs? Well, if Kimi would take a sabbatical Alonso could take that third title and retire. I say just let's get over with it and have him out of the picture forever

 

Lol! Fat chance, dude. I don't remember him saying that. Kimi was the one that talked about early retirement.

 

Still knows Luca, it's not a he knew Luca thing. I think if you would remember right it was less than 6 months ago that Ross showed up at the FIA HQ with JT and Luca, they are still very good friends, same as Schumacher is to all of them as well.. Luca B, Stefano and the rest toe the party line, Ross has nothing to worry about and can speak his mind... Kind of like Schumacher liking KERS recently while Piero said it was junk.